Return to the Darkness
by echo-WLH
Summary: TK is really eager to see Catherine while visiting his grandparents with Kari and their older brothers. But Kari really is acting a bit strange...All of a sudden, TK finds himself in a situation with Kari's life at stake. Takari.
1. On the way there

TK glanced excitedly around the plane, waving at Tai and Matt sitting behind them, then taking out his PSP to play with. As he inserted a game, he noticed Kari sleeping serenely, leaning against the pillow. Her wispy short brown hair framed her face and a small smile adorned her pink lips. The sun shone down from the window to her pale heart shaped face and to TK, she looked like an angel. He grinned and placed his PSP down to watch instead, the sleeping girl. He stroked her locks and propped her head up to his shoulder.

TK was confused about Kari. He didn't understand his feelings for her at all. After a while he thought that it was just sisterly love her felt towards her.

She stirred a little and sat up slowly, wisps of hair swaying with her every move. Blinking a couple times, she turned her sleepy eyes towards TK. He almost blushed at the gentle smile she gave him.

"Hey TK," she said softly, stretching.

He nodded smiling a bit. "Have a nice rest?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Oh, that's good."

The awkward silence that followed was overpowering to TK. Kari didn't really seem to notice, she just silently played with the ends of her hair. He gulped uncertainly and hesitating, opened his mouth to talk.

"So are you happy to be going to see your grandparents?" Somehow, Kari had managed to beat him to it without much thought.

"Yup. It's been a while since I've been to France." He replied, yawning casually.

She shook her head. "Iie. You went a month ago. I bet you really wanted to see Catherine. Maybe you'll have the guts to ask her out," she corrected softly.

TK grinned eagerly. "Yeah, if you help me! I can't wait to see her! She was so beautiful before… I wonder how she's changed?"

"TK. It's been a month." Kari pointed out, slightly sardonically. "She probably hasn't changed much."

He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I guess not…it's just that I miss her a lot!"

Here, Kari's smile seemed to diminish. Her eyes clouded over and she turned away hesitantly. TK eyed her curiously.

"Hey Kari? You okay?"

She nodded and turned quickly, smiling forcefully at him. "I'm really just fine!"

TK almost gasped at how empty her smile was. He knew that it wasn't fine. Not at all.

-----

TK raised his eyebrows as Kari sped off the plane and into the airport terminal. He tried to catch up and eventually had to grab her arm before she could make it to the luggage rack.

"What is it TK?" She asked, somewhat exasperated

"Are you okay? Nothing's wrong?" He demanded in concern. He spotted Tai and Matt getting off the plane and waved at them.

"I'm fine! Don't worry about me, just start planning how to ask Catherine out!"

TK frowned at her empty, somewhat cold smile. He wanted Kari to be happy because well, he love- cared about her. _I don't love her, I care about her._ He fixed quickly, shaking his head. He turned back towards Kari.

"Kari! Listen to me! I swear, you've been acting different ever since we were on the plane! What has gotten into you?!"

Kari looked stunned and stepped back a little, making him wince.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kari. It's just that I care too much about you to not care about what's going on! Something's wrong with you and I want to know what!"

Kari turned away. "It's fine," she mumbled, "stop concerning yourself over me."

He opened his mouth to object when he head a booming voice coming from the other side of the terminal.

"TK!!" TK turned around to see his grandpa striding towards him heartily. He winced slightly as he was scooped up in a hug and hesitantly smiled.

"And Kari! Look at you!! Oh you've grown so much!! Oh TK's grandmother is just going to adore how you look!"

Kari smiled and nodded politely. "Hai. Thank you, I really am glad to be back," she stated sincerely as Matt and Tai jogged up. TK's grandfather laughed heartily.

"Good to hear Hikari-chan!"

"Ojiisan!" Matt called, running up, out of breath. He, in return, received a bone jarring hand shake and a clap on the back. Same with Tai. Both boys winced and turned towards their siblings.

"Ja, Hikari-chan! Ikku yo!" Tai said, pulling his little sister after TK's jolly grandfather. She smiled emptily and nodded.

"Hai, nii-san."

TK stared after her, not even noticing Matt was eyeing him curiously. TK really didn't like that smile of Kari's… he felt like something was wrong. That wasn't good because if Kari wasn't there to make everyone happy, he knew everything would fall apart. Kari was just special in that way.

"Ja, ottouotto. Am I just supposed to leave you here? What, aren't you excited to see Catherine?"

TK nodded, though not as eagerly. His mind was not on Catherine, but Kari.

"Yeah…" he replied, obviously distracted. "Sure."

TK really wasn't sure whether or not he wanted to see Catherine as much anymore. To him for now, Kari was more important. As pretty as Catherine was, he didn't want a repeat of the Dark Sea incident only a couple months ago. Too much was at risk. For one, Kari's life might be on the line this time.

* * *

WLH: YESH!! I finally got to post my first chapter of Return to the Darkness! HELL YEAH!!!!! AND MY FRIEND BOB IS A GREEN CRAYON!! sry... that last bit was random. Please leave a lot of reviews!! you know how much I adore those thingy majigs! The next update should be... soon. Well then, remember to give me some nice comments to keep me updating! Review for me extra because I am sorta busy with my Naruto ficcys so inspire me to write! Thanks a bunch! Preview...

"TK!!"

TK turned around and was instantly elated at the sight of long, curly blond hair and a doll-like face. Catherine. Kari turned away slightly, cringing.

"Catherine! How have you been! It's been so long and..."

Kari mentally tuned the two of them out and longed for Gatomon. Drat, if only she had brought her D-3, then maybe she would at least be able to talk to Yolei... maybe even Davis! It was so unfair...so it was true that boys only liked girls for their looks. And she had known TK for so long too...Catherine was only making her life miserable. The world was unfair and cruel and terrible...

"Kari? You okay?" TK glanced at Kari. His eyes grew wide as she started to fade like a piece of computer data. This could only mean...

"KARI!!"

This was definately NOT good.

WLH: dun dun dun... hehe review and stay tuned. thanks.


	2. Regret

WLH: Chapter two, might seem a little rusty, choppy, or rushed, plz check mi A/N on the bottom. Domo.

* * *

TK groaned slightly to himself as his older brother and his grandpa chatted non-stop on their way to his grandmother's house. He turned slightly to look at Kari, who was leaning on her brother's shoulder, watching the conversation like a pingpong tournament. 

Her eyes widened slightly and she yelled, "Ahh Takeru no jii-san! The curb! Watch out for the-"

The car swerved violently, almost running straight into the street lamp on the curb Kari had just pointed out. The poor girl sighed and Tai rolled his eyes. Matt and TK however, continued to sit nonchalantly as if nothing had ever happened.

"Sa, gomen ne Hikari-chan. I'm sorry, I should have brought my motorcycle, I'm still a bit rusty with the car, it is new after all. Then again, I doubt any of you would have fit it the motorcycle side car! HAHA!"

She sighed again. Sure, she liked TK's grandparents enough, but sometimes they just… overdid it.

"Nii-san…I really want to see Gatomon," she said softly to Tai, wishing she had brought her D-3 with her.

"I want to see Patamon too, you know," TK said, nudging her slightly. She stared at him and turned away. Tai cast TK a questioning look before patting his sister on the head.

TK just scooted to the far end of the car and frowned. What was up with Kari?

-----

TK grabbed his luggage from the back and pulled it up the stairs, wondering what his grandmother had made them for dinner. Matt followed suit, and Tai helped Kari unload hers and bring it up the stairs before going back down for his.

Tai walked into the kitchen to a wonderful aroma and sniffed deeply, sighing as his stomach rumbled in anticipation. Kari let out a little giggle and got up to go check out the room TK's grandmother had pointed out for her, taking her luggage with her.

Tai sat down and engaged Matt in a conversation about their latest biology project, and TK, having nothing to do, moped up the stairs, wanting to get a good nap. He crept into the hallway upstairs and passed by a couple doors, then stopped at one. Kari was unpacking.

_Well, now or never, TK._

He crept inside and placed a hand lightly on Kari's shoulder, causing her to jump and whirl around, brown locks flying.

"Wha-TK?" She let the pair of jeans she had been grasping fall into the open drawer and immediately slammed it shut, but not before TK glimpsed something that looked like a picture.

"W-what are you doing here?"

TK turned and looked around the room before sighing nonchalantly, "I need to ask you something."

She smiled softly, and to TK's joy, they were sparkly and full of life again. "Well, ask away, Take-chan."

He blushed ever so slightly at the use of his childhood nickname and said, on a more serious note, "Is everything okay? Nothing bothering you?"

She shook her head.

"You sure?"

She nodded.

TK frowned skeptically. "Then why were you so distant in the car and in the airport? I thought you were supposed to help me ask Catherine out."

Instantly, the sparkle in her eyes diminished and she said dully, "Look TK, I'm sorry, I'm just not in the mood right now. I'm really tired."

With that, she gently ushered the astounded TK out the door and shut it softly. TK listened at the door for a while, but it was strangely quiet. Shrugging to himself, he jammed his hands into his pockets and walked down the stairs.

-----

Kari let the tears fall gently onto her bed sheets. She knew she was acting strangely, but she couldn't help it at all. Besides… she kept seeing _them_ again. She kept having those nightmares, and they wouldn't stop. All of a sudden, she felt cold and airless all over again. She gasped as all of a sudden, she was in the middle of an ocean. The dark, murky water was up to her knees and it was ice cold to the touch. It made her shiver, and she reached down to touch the water with her fingertips. At once all of her thoughts jumbled through her head, the unfairness, the hate, and all of it… the fear, twisted together… A dark swirling misty creature reached out its fingers and…

"STOP!!" she yelled, shaking uncontrollably. "GO AWAY!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Instantly, the ocean around her disappeared, the grim creature evaporated, and she slumped over on the bed, sweating. In a matter of minutes, she was asleep, tired from the shock of being _there _again for a little bit.

-----

TK ran upstairs after hearing Kari's frantic cries. Tai and Matt were right behind him, and TK's grandparents watched with concern from below.

"KARI, KARI ARE YOU OKAY YOU AREN'T HURT OR ANYTHING?" TK yelled as he burst into Kari's room. Tai and Matt stepped in after him, and all three boys nearly gasped at the state she was in.

She was curled up and shaking, her skin was pale and clammy and her hair was messed up because she had been pulling at it. Her gloves were off and her hands were clenched into fists. She was muttering something frantically and TK moved closer cautiously.

"No go away… Leave me alone, please… don't hurt them please…" she sobbed in her sleep, shuddering uncontrollably.

Tai pushed TK out of the way and shook Kari frantically. "Kari! What are you talking about? You're here, it's okay, we're all here! Kari!"

But despite his attempts to comfort her, she continued shivering and muttering things, occasionally tugging frantically at her hair. It was a terrible image, TK realized.

The gentle, childish, innocent girl was being tortured somehow, mentally and it looked absolutely horrifying. Her delicate face was in a grimace that didn't suite her at all, and somehow, there was a dark force surrounding her. Those small hands of hers were shaking and she looked like something out of a horror flick. She yelled something that made TK's heart stop, and slumped down on the bed, chest heaving.

"TK." Matt put a hand on his little brother's shoulder. "I think she screamed your name just a couple seconds ago." The older blond pushed his brother forward.

TK scratched his head and reached out for Kari's hand. As soon as he clasped it, her eyes flew open and she abruptly sat up, causing the three boys to leap back in surprise.

"Kari!" TK was the first one to react, throwing his arms around the poor girl, who was still shivering and pale.

"Oy, move over a bit TK," Tai said, sitting down on the bed next to Kari. "What happened, Kari?"

She took a shaky breath and unclenched her fists, relaxing a bit as she took in her surroundings. "N-nothing. Bad dream."

"Ja, Kari, I know you too well to fall for that," the overprotective brother said sternly. TK would have smiled if it weren't for the grave situation. Matt stepped over and put a hand on Kari's head, smoothing out her locks.

"He's your brother," the older blond said, straightening her locks, "You shouldn't hide anything from him."

"No really, I'm fine. This is supposed to be a fun vacation and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you guys," Kari said, studying her hands.

"But it would be no fun if you're so stubborn, ne?" Tai said, tweaking her nose.

"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore, Tai!" She said, her eyes sparkling again. TK grinned.

"You sure you okay though?" He asked. Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he hesitantly began to dab away the beads of cold sweat on her forehead.

Kari nodded, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine… really! Did you guys have dinner without me?"

TK nodded. "But grandma cut up some fruit for you, just incase you woke up and were feeling hungry."

"All right! I'm starving!" She warbled, jumping off of the bed and bounding down stairs.

All three boys glanced at each other and shrugged. Talk about a quick change of mood.

"Oh yeah… KARI!" Tai called.

"YEAH?" Came the answer.

"We're going out pretty soon to just visit some places, so get ready after you're done, okay?"

"No problem!"

-----

Kari turned off the sink and reached over to dry her face. Tai had said that they were going somewhere and she didn't want it to look like she had just been crying. She stepped hastily to the closet and began looking for suitable clothes. Eventually, she picked out a yellow spaghetti strap top and a pair of light pink shorts. She tied her old yellow bandana around her waist as a belt and pulled a light pink jacket on because it might be chilly. Of course, she never forgot her camera.

After she reclipped her barrette into place, she walked quietly downstairs in search of the three boys.

-----

"Paris is so… beautiful," Kari said, enchanted. They were standing in front of the Louvre Museum and TK smiled, seeing that she was back to her normal self.

"Yeah, it sure is," he said, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the cement floor. "Say, are we going to visit the Eiffel Tower?"

"Ov course ve are! It iz, after all, one ov ze most vamous tourists places in ze world!" TK's grandmother said enthusiastically.

"Wow…" Kari breathed, still frozen to the spot, staring at the museum. Tai chuckled and turned around to discuss with Matt their biology project again.

All of a sudden, there was a very shrill shout that startled Kari so much, that she almost dropped her camera.

"TK!!"

TK turned around and was instantly elated at the sight of long, curly blond hair and a doll-like face. Catherine. Kari turned away slightly, cringing, temporarily forgetting about the museum.

"Catherine! How have you been? It's been so long and..."

Kari mentally tuned the two of them out and longed for Gatomon. Drat, if only she had brought her D-3, then maybe she would at least be able to talk to Yolei... maybe even Davis! It was so unfair...so it was true that boys only liked girls for their looks. And she had known TK for so long too...Catherine was only making her life miserable. The world was unfair and cruel and terrible...

"Kari? You okay?" TK glanced at Kari. His eyes grew wide as she started to fade like a piece of computer data. This could only mean...

"KARI!!"

When she didn't seem to hear him, TK jumped up and down in front of her frantically, and Tai and Matt tried to shake her out of it. They were both horrified when their hands went right through her. Catherine looked scared.

"What's happening to her?" she asked, staring in awe at the slowly vanishing girl.

TK paid no attention to her and continued to jump around in her face, but she just stared right through him with cold blank eyes. She looked like she was in some other world.

"Kari! Kari, listen to me!! Please, Kari, you can't go back there, what if I can't get you back? What am I supposed to do here without you?" TK yelled, at the disappearing image of Kari. "Stay with me please!!"

It was no use, he had promised that nothing would ever happen to Kari, but it was all his fault. Kari was gone because of him and he had broken his promise. He had let everyone down.

"I WOULD HAVE NEVER COME HERE IF THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!" He yelled frantically. And now… Kari was in danger again. All those memories of his promises rolled through is head and his fear, molded into one soft shape that was Kari, was being taken away... his weaknesses, his regrets, he hated them all. He hated how he always seemed to let her down, but she brought his back up again, forgiving him for everything and...and...

He collapsed on his knees with tears of regret trickling down his face and onto the ground. Feeling a soft warmth on his left hand that rested on the concrete, he looked up into soft, warm, brown eyes. Kari. But how? He reached up and touched her face. She was real.

"TK…?" She intoned softly, "Did you really mean th-"

He got up and threw his arms around her.

* * *

WLH: heya everyone! WLH here... umm heres chapter two because I got a decent amount of reviews for chapter one... sry if it's a little badly written and you expected more... i was in a rush to post it. I would really like constructional critisicm especially for the last part... i for one think the ending for this chapter is a little rushed, but please tell me what you think... this is not my best, that i hafta agree with, but bear with me... i will edit it soon!! Thanks everyone!! I got a comment about the digimon, and yes, I will introduce them later in the story. The ending is a little vague for this chapter, but I'll clear things up later. Cliffhanger... muhahaha... im not going to leave a preview because I just don't feel like it. hehehe... so um, review...and arigato minna! ja... 

WLH ova and out.


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